Self-acting switch.



No. 823,310. PATBNTED JUNE 12, 1906.

w. H. TAYLOR. SELF ACTING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED PEBJZ, 1906.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES;

ANDREW. av mum"! 420.. mom-uTmGR-Pvgzis. msmumun, n. c,

UNITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. TAYLOR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO THOMAS OOONEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SELF-ACTING SWITCH.

Patented June-12, 1906.

T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-ActingSwitches, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-switches; and it'hasfor its object to provide mechanism by means of which a switch may beopened or closed by a device upon a train or upon a car under thecontrol of a person upon the said train or car and i without stoppingthe same.

My improved self-acting switch is adapted to be used in connection witheither steamrailway tracks or electric-railway tracks.

My invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter set forth in detail and as specifically claimed in theclaims appended hereto and as illustrated in the drawings, in which iFigure 1 is a plan of the sections of two main lines, showing my switchmechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a section ofrailway-track and a portion of an engine provided with means foroperating the switch. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a section of arailway-track and a portion of a car provided with means for operatingthe switch, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a section of railway-trackand showing the two:

operating-levers upon the side of the track.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate main tracks of arailway-line, and 3 and 4 designate switch-rails, by means of which atrain may be transferred from one track to the other. The switch-railsand their connection or relation to the main tracks are of.

usual construction and need not be particularly referred to orillustrated in detail.

In order that the switch rails may be moved in different directions forthe purpose either of permitting a train to continue along either of themain tracks or for the purpose of directing the same from one track toanother, I have connected the same to the switch mechanism whichembodies my invention. Referring to this mechanism, 6 designates a leverpivoted upon any suitable support 7. The free end of the said lever isprovided with a cam-shapedprojection which extends laterally toward therailway-track. designates a connecting-rod between the said lever 6 andone arm 8 of a bell-crank lever located upon the opposite side of therailwaytracks. The said bell-crank lever is pivotally supported upon anysuitable support 9. The other arm 10 of the said lever is connected to arod 12, which extends parallel with the tracks and is connected to onearm 13 of a bell-crank lever which is pivoted upon a suitable support 14at the sides of the tracks. The other arm of the last-mentionedbellcrank lever is provided with a lateral camlike projection 15, whichextends toward the adjacent track 2.

17 designates a rod which is connected at one end to the arm of thebell-crank lever i last mentioned and at its other end to an arm 20 of abell-crank lever located upon the opposite side of the tracks andpivotally supported upon --'a suitable support 21. The other arm 22 ofthe said last-mentioned lever is connected, by means of a rod 23, to onearm 24 of a bell-crank lever, the other arm 25 of which is connected,bymeans of a bar 26 and a rod 27, which extends across the tracks of therailway, to an arm 28 of a bell-crank lever pivotally supported upon theopposite side of the railway-tracks. The other arm 29 of thelast-mentioned bell-crank lever is connected, by means of a rod 30,extending parallel with the railway-tracks, to an arm 31 of a bellcranklever, the other arm 32 of which is connected, by means of abar or rod35, extending across the tracks, to an arm 36 of a bell-crank leverlocated upon the other side of the tracks, and the other arm 37 of whichis connected, by means of a connecting-rod 40, to a slidable switchplate or member 41. The bars 26 and are respectively connected to theswitch rails 3 and 4 and are adapted to control the positions of thesaid switch-rails with respect to the main tracks 1 and 2 of the line.

The slidable switch plate or member 41 is supported upon a base-plate 45and slides in guides 46 upon the said base-plate. The switch-plate isprovided With a notch 47 in its outer edge, one side of. which notchcurves gradually outward and longitudinally of the plate to the edge ofthe same. The bottom of the notch or slot is provided with a seat or inga holding member for retaining the plate 41 in one position, which Iterm a retractholds the slidable lock-switch plate 41 in'its retractedposition, where the said plate is held until the lug or projection 51 ismoved out of the said seat 50, whereupon the spring 55 which isrelatively heavy and strong, coni tracts to draw or slide the said plate41 to the right in Fig. 1.

During this movement of the plate the lug or projection 51 travels up Iover the inclined curved cam surface or section of the notch 47 andoccasions continued movement of the sliding bar 26 and the rod 27,connected thereto, to move the switchrails 3 so as to open the switch todirect a train from the main track 1 onto the main track 2. Associatedwith the rod 27 is a coiled-wire spring 58, which exercises pressure tohold the switch-rails 3 in the position shown in Fig. 1. Associated withthe rod or bar 35 is a coiled-wire spring 59, which exercises pressureto hold the switch-rails 4 in the position shown in said Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 the switch-rails 4 are shown in such position that a traintraveling in the direction of the arrow upon track 1 would continuealong the said track, while a train traveling in the direction of thearrow upon track 2 would also continue to move along such track. Inorder to return the several parts, including the switch-rails, to theirpositions indicated in Fig. 1 after the lug or projection 51 isdisplaced from the notch 47 and after the lock-switch plate 41 has beenmoved to the right under the influence of the spring 55, I have providedpivoted levers and 61 upon opposite sides of the line. The said leversare adapted to be operated to return the several parts of the device tothe position indicated in the drawings.

65 designates a rod or bar connected at one end to the lever 60 a shortdistance from its fulcrum and at its other end to one arm 66 of abell-crank lever, the other arm 67 of which is connected to one end of arod or connection 68, the other end of which is connected to an arm 69,rigidly connected and substantially at right angles to the lever 61. Thelever 61 is connected, by means of a rod or bar 70, to one arm 71 of abell-crank lever, the other arm 7 2 of which is connected, by means ofthe rod 40 to the arm 37 and to the sliding switchplate 41.

In the operation of the device it will be understood that when eitherthe lever 6 or the arm 15 of the bell-crank lever upon the opposite sideof the track are moved outward or away from the tracks the connectionsbe- -tween the said levers and the sliding bar 26 are such that the saidbar is moved outwardly to remove the lug or projection 51 from its seat50, whereupon the spring 55 contracts and occasions movement of thesliding bar 26 and rod or bar 27 to close the switch-rails 3. Movementof the said bar 26 and rod or bar 27 through their connection to theswitchrails 4 occasions movement of the latter, so that both sets orpairs .of switch-rails are simultaneously moved to open said switches.

In order to provide a signal to indicate whether or not the switch isopen or closed, I have provided a light (indicated at 75) which isadapted to be operated by means of an extension from the rod or bar 40,connecting the said light to the lever-arm 72. Movement of the saidlever-arm about its pivot occasions movement of the rod 40 and theextension thereof between the said lever-arm 72 and the said light tooccasion rotation of the said light to display either a red or a whitelight, the means for occasioning the rotation not being shown.

In order that the switches may be controlled by some one upon the train,I have provided means upon the train for tripping or operating theseveral levers 6 6O 61 and lever-arm 15. Any means desired may beemployed for this purpose. I have shown a convenient means in Fig. 2,consisting of an upright shaft 80, journaled upon the front 5 part of anengine, the lower end of the shaft being provided with an angular armwhich is adapted to be thrown into the path of the lateral projectionsupon the lever 6 and lever-arm 15. I have also shown in Fig. 4 acorresponding construction consisting of an upright shaft 81, which isprovided with an angular arm which is adapted to be thrown into the athof either of the levers 60 or 61.

It wil beunderstood that the means for operating the lever 6 to open theswitch, so that the car may pass from track 1 to track 2, is upon the oposite side of the car or train from that of t e means for resetting orreturning the switch mechanism to the position shown in Fig. 1. Thelast-mentioned means is adapted to strike and operate the lever 61 afterthe car has passed from track 1 onto the track 2. The same thing is trueof the train traveling to the right upon track 2 and which istransferred to track 1. It is clear that the device for operating thelever-arm 15 so as to 0 en the switch will be upon the opposite side ofthe car or train from that which will be employed to operate the lever60 to reset or return the switch mechanism to the position shown inFig. 1. I have located the free ends of the levers 6 and 15 and 60 and61 at different heightsthat is, in different horizontal planesasindicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It will be understood that bylocating the angular arms at the lower ends of the upright shafts and 81at different heights they can strike or engage only the desired one ofany one of the operating-levers referred to. I 0

In illustrating my invention I have shown it applied to two main tracksarranged side by side; but it is understood that the same may be used inconnection with a single main track and a short switch-line, in whichcase the operating-levers 61 and lever-arm 15 may be omitted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a switch mechanism,in combination, a lever, a slidable plate having a cam-section upon oneedge thereof, means inter osed between the said lever and the saislidable plate for controlling the position of the latter, and meansinterposed between the said cam-section and the switch-rails, wherebymovement of the said plate occasions movement of the said rails.

2. In a switch mechanism, in combination, a lever, a switch-plate havinga notch in one edge thereof, one side of which notch forms a cam,switch-rails, a lu or projection adapted to be seated in the sai notch,means for connecting the said lug or projection to the saidswitch-rails, and means connecting the said lever and the said lug orprojection, whereby the latter may be removed from its seat in the saidnotch to permit movement of the switch-plate in a direction to bring thecam into engagement with'the said lug or projectioili'to occasionmovement of the said switchrai s.

3. In a switch mechanism, in combination, a lever, a slidableswitch-plate having a notch provided with a seat in one of its edges,switch-rails, means adapted to be seated in the said seat for thepurpose of holding the v switch-plate in a retracted position,'means forconnecting the said lever to the last-mentioned means, and aconnecting-rod between the switch-rails and the means for holding theswitch-plate in retracted position.

4. In a switch mechanism, in combination, a lever, switch-rails, aswitch-plate having a notch provided with a seat in one edge thereof,one side of the said notch being inclined, means interposed between thesaid lever and the said switch-plate for controlling the same, and meansinterposed between the said switch-plate and the said switch-rails,whereby upon movement of the switch-plate in one direction the saidswitch-rails are moved in a direction to open the switch.

5. In a switch mechanism, in combination, a lever, a slidableswitch-plate provided with a notch in one edge thereof, the said notchhaving a seat and one side of the said notch being inclined, a movablebar rovided with a lug or projection adapted to e moved into and out ofthe said seat, means for connecting the said lever to the said bar, aspring connected to the said switch-plate which is adapted to occasionmovement of the said plate in one direction, and means connecting thesaid bar and the said switch-rails, whereby movement of the said baroccasions movement of the said rails.

6. In a switch mechanism, in combination, a lever, a switch-plateprovided with a notch in one edge thereof, one side of which is inclinedlongitudinally of the plate to the edge thereof, means connecting thesaid lever to the said switch-plate, whereby when the said lever ismoved in one direction a pull is eX- erted upon the said switch-plate tooccasion movement thereof, means adapted to engage the said switch-plateto hold it in retracted position, a second lever, means connecting thesaid second lever to the means for holding the said switch-plate inretracted position, whereby when the said second lever is moved in onedirection the said holding means is moved out of its seat in the saidnotch, and a spring ada ted to occasion movement of the said switc platewhen the said holding means is moved out of its seat.

7. In a switch mechanism, in combination, a movable plate or memberhaving a cam surface or section upon an edge thereof, movable meansadapted to engage the said member to hold it in retracted position, thesaid movable means being also adapted to enga e the said cam surface orsection, the switc rails, and means connecting the said movable meansand the said rails, whereby relative movement between the said movablemeans and the said movable plate or member occasions or permits movementof the said rails.

8. In a switch mechanism, in combination, a movable plate or memberhaving a cam surface or section u on one edge thereof, and the saidmember a so having a seat therein, means constantly exerting a forceupon the plate or member to move it in one direction, means adapted tobe located in the said seat to hold the said plate or member inretracted position in opposition to said force, means for removing theholding means from the said seat to permit movement of the said plate ormember to move the cam surface or section into engagement with the saidholding means, switch-rails, and means connecting the said rails to thesaid holding means, whereby movement of the latter in relation to thesaid cam surface or section occasions movement of the said rails.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntosigned my name this 29th day of January, A. D. 1906.

WILLIAM H. TAYLOR.

In presence of HARRY F. AMBLER, LAURA KLEINFELDER.

